Fergus Wilson, 69, has threatened to end tenancies for pregnant women and single mums

But he said he was giving them "two months' grace" to find somewhere else to live.

The 69-year-old millionaire has blamed "too strict" council rules for his decision.

Landlords can be fined £30,000 if they fail to fix faulty boilers and heating systems "within four days" if there is a baby in the house.

He told the Kentish Express newspaper today: "I just can't risk something going wrong and not being able to get a plumber there in time. Have you ever tried to get a plumber? There's a national shortage."

The landlord says he is only willing to take on mums with kids who are over the age of five because council rules mean emergency repairs don't have to be done within four days.

In a letter to Cllr Gerald White, Ashford Borough Council's cabinet member for housing, Mr Wilson wrote: "It is heartbreaking to terminate the contracts, but we cannot recruit staff and service the tenants.

"The council has brought this decision on itself."

A spokesman for Ashford Borough Council said it only used enforcement action against landlords as a "last resort'.

He said: "We have duty to ensure decent standards for tenant who are renting privately.

"We always work with landlords to ensure those standards are met and try to assist them as much as possible.

"Formal enforcement action is very much a last resort, but we will take action where necessary."

Wilson owns hundreds of properties in Ashford and Maidstone in Kent along with wife Judith.

He faced criticism previously after a list of "not acceptable" renters was released.

Last year, The Sun revealed one rule when vetting people to rent his properties was: “No coloured people because of the curry smell at the end of the tenancy.”

Others included tenants with children under 18, single mums or dads, low income workers, no plumbers and no "battered wives".

He sparked further outrage by claiming bearded and tattooed people “don’t make much money" - but he defended his stance and said it was no different to banning smokers and dogs.

Wilson was taken to court by the Equality and Human Rights Commission in November where his policy was ruled unlawful.

Where Fergus Wilson stands in the eyes of the law

Wilson could find himself falling foul of The Equality Act 2010 under pregnancy and maternity discrimination.

Pregnancy and maternity discrimination is when you’re treated unfairly because you’re pregnant, breastfeeding or because you’ve recently given birth

Tenants would have to prove in a civil court they have been treated unfavourably and suffered a disadvantage.

It’s unlawful discrimination if a landlord or estate agent treats someone unfairly because they're pregnant while renting or buying a property.

The same applies to landlord or estate agent who treat a tenant unfairly because they've given birth.

But mums are only protected for 26 weeks following the day they gave birth.

There are some exceptions though. If someone sells or lets a property privately without using an estate agent or advertising it or someone lets out part of a property where they live this is not unlawful discrimination.

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Representing himself in court, he said: "All the local people here agree with me. It's perfectly legal not to buy a house because you think it smells of curry.

"If you are in Luton or Bedford, maybe that won't make a difference. But in Ashford and Maidstone, 99 per cent of the population are not from India or Pakistan.

"The problem is that if you have a £250,000 mid-terrace house, the valuation drops by £50,000 if it smells of curry."

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